This Westcott 43" White Satin Umbrella has a removable black backing, so that it may be used as a "shoot-through", makeshift softbox. It has a collapsible shaft, which makes it very compact for packing away in your location case.

Umbrellas soften, broaden, and diminish the light output of any tungsten or flash light source. Umbrellas with a white interior will soften and weaken light more than an umbrella with a silver lining. A white umbrella without a black backing may also be used as a makeshift softbox, although the use of the light will not be as efficient as with a lightbox.

Choosing umbrella size is determined by the size of the subject, and the strength of the light supply being used. Choosing an umbrella surface is as subjective as choosing a paint and brush. This umbrella's suggested use is for 1 or 2 person mid-length portraits.

This umbrella has an 8 mm standard shaft which will fit virtually all heads except Elinchrom which requires a 7 mm shaft. Elinchrom owners should mount this umbrella to their head's tilter, rather than the umbrella receptacle.

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Anonymous from
The Strobist UmbrellaThis is ideal for traveling. Lightweight, small and versatile. Contrary to some people say, the black cover isn't hard to take off or put on. Don't fully extend the umbrella when taking off the black cover and when putting it back on, the umbrella should be fully opened and make sure the screw on top is slighty loose when attaching the pins. It is however a little combersome to fold the umbrella with the back cover on as it easily comes off. The solution is just to store the back cover separately. As for the hollow shaft, put a small piece of pencil into it for durability-a tip by the Strobist himself. I hope this helps.

Date published: 2010-03-16

Rated 4 out of
5 by
Dodgeinart from
Already had one, works great needed 2Portraits. I was surprised at the # of people I could light with just the 2 small umbrellas. They are light & compact making for a great portable setup giving the option of a shoot through or bounce to suit you lighting mood at the time. Only possible problem could be the way the black backing attaches, seems a bit light duty and may not last a long time. I have not played with a top priced umbrella to see the different styles for holding the backing, but for the price of these you can afford to replace them several times before you spend as much as the top of the line, which will need replacing eventually anyhow.

Date published: 2009-11-05

Rated 3 out of
5 by
Bleedin' Bob from
Compact, Lightweight But Sharp Tips!It is the smallest and lightest telescoping umbrella I've used. Note that the rib tips of the umbrella are extremely small and sharp. Beware using this around small children,anxious pets or windy areas without a heavy sandbag on the lightstand! I'm bleeding as I type this and that was just from removing the black cover. Seriously they are much sharper than the 4 other umbrellas I own and use regularly. The screw-on center cap that holds the black cover to the umbrella is hard to replace once removed. Best feature- the small size. I thought the UPS man had brought the incorrect item since the carton was so small!

Date published: 2008-08-12

Rated 1 out of
5 by
Anonymous from
Not for professionals who are paid for their timeI rarely give reviews...however, I am so mad at these umbrellas I cannot keep it to myself this time. I have been using them for 6 months. (I have been a full-time pro for 30 years.) Every two piece umbrella I have used uses velcro half way up the ribs to keep the black cover connected to the tips of the ribs, or the tips are tight enough to stay on. These don't have them, the tips are loose so they fall off EVERY TIME. I am over it, these are going in the trash. The cost of USING it far out-weighs the cost of better one. Those who say you just need to be patient is 1) letting their assistants deal with them, or 2) not busy enough to care.

Date published: 2016-12-08

Rated 4 out of
5 by
Snoopy from
Excellent Brolli - great priceI use this both as a silver reflective and a shoot through umbrella. It works great. The fact that it folds down is immensely useful. It fits in my small Tamrac over the shoulder camera bag. I was worried about build quality because the price is significantly lower compared to umbrellas by some of the bigger names, but the quality seems to be there. The only thing I wish is that the bottom section of the shaft was a bit stronger. Right now I slide a pencil into the hollow shaft to add a bit of support. Honestly that is minor especially for the price and quality of the rest of the umbrella.

Date published: 2008-07-01

Rated 4 out of
5 by
Phil Paul from
Nice for outdoor shootingsI have no car, so I mostly travel by train, bike or foot to my shooting locations in the city. This collapsible umbrella is perfect for it. Collapsed, it's as small as a compact light stand. and is easy to transport attached at my photo-backpack. The attachable black cover makes it possible to use the umbrella both, as a shoot-trough- or as a reflecting umbrella. By shooting trough, you get a more soften light. I love that umbrella. I ordered 3 pcs. here from Germany (there are no similar producs available here). The only minus is, that the black cover does release itself, when you collapse the umbrella and you have to connect the connect the mounting sockets every time you open the umbrella.

Date published: 2009-09-22

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Marty from
Compact, portable, great product!I use this umbrella as a main light source for both portrait and general room lighting. I find that shooting through the umbrella with my Nikon SB-800 flash provides natural, soft light on my subject. This umbrella has replaced my other two smaller ones due to its compact size and ease of use. The Westcott 43 collapsible umbrella folds down to an incredibly short 14 making this the only umbrella I use on the road. My previous umbrellas were 21 umbrellas that folded down to, you guessed it, 21 in length. I have nothing bad to say about this product; it is compact, provides very soft light, and is very reasonably priced.

Date published: 2008-06-05

Rated 4 out of
5 by
Anonymous from
Good Price but you get what you pay forUsed two Westcott umbrellas on a recent portrait shoot and the size was not quite what I was expecting but that was my fault for not doing the math. The black cover came off easy enough but not sure how long the attachment screw on the top is going to last since it's a cheap plastic, would have appreciated aluminum. Replacing the cover is a bit of a challange but do like the option of using as a bounce and shoot through in one unit. Best attribute is the solid shaft for being able to tighten it down in the mount without worry of crushing the tubing. All in all, good product for the price but will most likely upgrade to a more substantial umbrella in the future.